Bayern opened up a seven-point lead over last season's runners-up with an ultimately emphatic triumph at Signal Iduna Park.

Mario Gotze, accquired from Dortmund in the close season, came off the bench to break the deadlock in the 66th minute, before late goals from Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller enabled the European champions to make a real statement.

A fortnight after the win at Dortmund, Bayern turned on the style with a stunning demolition of Werder Bremen.

Assani Lukimya's own goal opened the floodgates at Weserstadion and five visiting players - Daniel Van Buyten, Franck Ribery (2), Mario Mandzukic, Muller and Gotze - were on target thereafter in a performance that highlighted Bayern's status as the Bundesliga's dominant force.

Bayern's winning run currently stands at 19 league games, but looked unlikely to reach double figures towards the end of January.

With 15 minutes of a midweek fixture at Stuttgart remaining, Guardiola's side trailed to a first-half goal from Vedad Ibisevic.

Substitute Claudio Pizarro headed an equaliser in the 76th minute, but it was Thiago Alcantara who sensationally secured a 10th straight victory for Bayern with a wonderful acrobatic volley in stoppage time.

March 1, 2014 - Bayern 5 Schalke 1 - The winning machine rumbles on

Poor Schalke headed to the Allianz Arena off the back of a 6-1 humbling against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League ... and things would get no better for Jens Keller's men in Bavaria.

Bayern, by this stage all but assured of another German title, stormed into a four-goal lead inside 28 minutes and were able to ease to victory thereafter.

Another hammering was handed out the following week as Bayern scored five goals in the space of 17 second-half minutes to crush Wolfsburg 6-1.